Method of disinfecting petroleum and petroleum products

Abstract

The method uses propylene oxide as the active substance. It is particularly suitable for inhibiting undesirable growth of microorganisms in drilling for petroleum.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of disinfecting a petroleum crude system, and the raw products obtained therefrom, without causing ecological harm, or undesirable flow losses, or other operational disturbances in petroleum extraction operations, said method comprising: adding to the petroleum crude a small but microbiocidally effective amount of propylene oxide to provide a propylene oxide level in the crude system of from about 5 ppm to about 20 ppm to inhibit growth of undesirable microorganisms.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein the propylene oxide is added with an inert carrier. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 wherein the inert carrier contains a mixture of light kerosene and nonyl phenyl polyglycol ether having 10 molar equivalents of ethylene oxide. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2 wherein the inert carrier contains a mixture of white spirit terpentine substitute, representing a petroleum fraction comprising certain high-boiling types of gasoline, and C 12-16  fatty alcohol polyglycol ether having 10-12 molar equivalents of ethylene oxide. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 2 wherein the inert carrier is selected from the grup consisting of anion-active, cation-active, and amphoteric emulsion systems. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of propylene oxide in the petroleum and petroleum product is from about 15 to about 20 ppm. 
     
     
       7. A method of claim 1 used in petroleum recovery by means of water injection, the improvement comprising the step of adding the propylene oxide mixture to the injected water. 
     
     
       8. A method of disinfecting petroleum crude comprising: adding propylene oxide to water to create a solution concentrate of propylene oxide in water; and therafter injecting the water solution concentrate of propylene oxide   into the petroleum crude product to provide a petroleum product having a propylene oxide concentration of from about 15 ppm to about 20 ppm of propylene oxide as a microbiocidally effective agent which prevents undesirable bacterial growth without causing any ecological harm or undesirable flow losses during crude oil operational processing.